Is TikTok the Future of Search?
TikTok, an endless scroll of inspiration, trends, and entertainment, has become the pinnacle of social sharing. As the platform has grown, it has become not only a place for users to scroll, but a place for users to search. Recent studies show that “over 2 in 5 Americans use TikTok as a search engine” and TikTok has replaced Google as a search engine for nearly “1 in 10” Gen Zers.
As the platform has progressed, so has the presence of large and small businesses looking to grow company success and their user base. For advertisers, TikTok previously was only capable of providing in-stream video ads on the “For You” page and product sales campaigns shown in the “TikTok Shop” interface targeted both by lists and user demographics. However, TikTok has now embraced user behavior and evolved the platform for the future for advertisers with the introduction of search campaigns.
What are TikTok search campaigns?
First released in September 2024, TikTok now provides advertisers with the opportunity to run search ad campaigns that allows brands to appear in the platform’s search results much like a Google or Bing search campaign. Post-campaign-launch, ads will serve to relevant users based on user search queries paired with relevant keywords provided by brands.
Like their search engine competitors, these campaigns target users based on their query history paired with ad-set-level keyword targeting with phrase, exact, and broad match capabilities. Rather than ads appearing on the “For You” page, search ads will appear on the search page after the query is made. Despite TikTok not yet having a keyword planning tool, the platform does provide a “Keyword Suggestion” tool for research, providing additional keyword options and adding monthly impression predictions for optimal reach.
It’s also worth noting that video and image carousel creative options are compatible with search ad campaigns (much like any other campaign type). This feature is unique to TikTok search ad campaigns as other search platforms don’t offer the ability to control headlines and descriptions paired with a creative piece.
Five tips for optimal performance
To make the most of brands’ investment in this new ad type, here are five recommendations to achieve optimal performance:
1. Choose relevant keywords
Much like a campaign in a traditional search engine, keywords should be thematically organized by ad group to tailor ads to search queries. Ad groups should have no fewer than 20 relevant keywords to maximize reach and performance.
2. Spark interest with engaging creative
With any ad displayed on TikTok, advertisers must be thoughtful when building out creative assets and copy to grab user attention from the very start. Search ads are no exception to that. To stand out in search results, ads must be geared toward engagement — meaning what is optimal for user interaction. Ads geared toward engagement could include actionable headlines, trending creatives, and clear CTAs. These features will draw users’ attention and encourage engagement for better performance.
3. Set appropriate bids and budget
TikTok recommends its search ads have a budget-to-bid ratio of 20:1 to keep ads relevant in the competitive search ad auctions. This differs from standard search engines in that there is no blanket recommendation for budget-to-bid ratio. For example, on standard search platforms like Google, budgets and bids will vary based on campaign type, historical data, industry, etc. Because TikTok search campaigns are so new, this recommended ratio should be embraced until campaigns can gain enough data to manipulate bids according to campaign goals and historical metrics.
4. Optimize campaigns over time to improve efficiency
Like any other media campaign, “set it and forget it” should never be the mentality. Search ads are recommended to live as an evergreen placement, and advertisers are recommended to frequently review performance to optimize campaigns by keywords, budgets/bids, and creative to keep up with creative and user-based trends.
5. Select the appropriate campaign type
Currently, TikTok search ads are only compatible with website traffic campaigns and website conversion campaigns. To start, TikTok recommends advertisers run initial search ads campaigns with a traffic objective to better understand the market, engagement, and user base for keywords.
Why should advertisers test TikTok search ads campaigns?
In the ever-growing landscape of social media, TikTok has become more than just a social sharing platform but also a place for users to search for the latest trends, brands, and deals. Advertisers should appeal to this user behavior by capitalizing on the search ads campaign type. Especially for brands serving younger users, TikTok search ads could become the perfect opportunity to maximize reach in all areas of the funnel.
As advertisers wait to learn the outcome of a potential TikTok ban that is currently scheduled to go into effect on January 19, 2025, we recommend brands still test this new ad unit to garner insights about how their customers leverage the platform as these learnings can be applied to other platforms should the U.S. ban go into effect.
